Appreciate the Quiet
by mandaree1
Summary: Adora attempts to take the reins from Sea Hawk, but he refuses. Then, in a whisper, he asks her to comfort Mermista, as he can't exactly give her a patent-pending Sea Hawk Hug while making sure they don't crash. Mermista cries herself to sleep in her shoulder. Perfuma keeps herself put together until they hit the trees, but soon after begins to sob into her hands.


**Disclaimer: I don't own She-Ra!**

 **Title: Quiet**

 **Summary: The skiff is quiet. Adora attempts to take the reins from Sea Hawk, but he refuses. Then, in a whisper, he asks her to comfort Mermista, as he can't exactly give her a patent-pending Sea Hawk Hug while making sure they don't crash. Mermista cries herself to sleep in her shoulder. Perfuma keeps herself put together until they hit the trees, but soon after begins to sob into her hands so loud Adora half-expects them to get caught anyway.**

 **Setting: Right after No Princesses Left Behind**

 **...**

The skiff is quiet. Adora attempts to take the reins from Sea Hawk, but he refuses. Then, in a whisper, he asks her to comfort Mermista, as he can't exactly give her a patent-pending Sea Hawk Hug while making sure they don't crash. Mermista cries herself to sleep in her shoulder. Perfuma keeps herself put together until they hit the trees, but soon after begins to sob into her hands so loud Adora half-expects them to get caught anyway.

Adora doesn't cry. It doesn't feel right to. She did this, after all.

Finally, Glimmer pulls herself out of Bow's arms, only to quickly find herself hugged again, her back to his chest. Adora didn't think they'd be separating anytime soon.

Glimmer speaks anyway. "I'm sorry, guys."

"Don't be," Sea Hawk says immediately. "We all have a bad run-in from time to time. Why, just last week I-"

"Not for getting caught. For Entrapta."

It's the first time any of them have used her name since leaving the Fright Zone. Adora clears her throat. There's a strange dichotomy going on inside her. A huge, unwavering place feels nothing but guilt and grief, wishing none of this had ever happened. Another piece remembers her surrender and the table and that horrible feeling in her brain and _understands_ , because she'd do it all again for any of them. "Entrapta knew the risks. She accepted them." Pause. "If anyone's to blame, it's me. It was my plan."

"But the Princess Alliance was _my_ thing," Glimmer insists, scoffing just a little at herself. "None of you would even _be here_ if I hadn't been so stubborn about a reboot. And now I've ruined an entire kingdom. I ruined Entrapta."

"I'm glad to be here," said Perfuma, her eyes puffy. "Well, not _here_ here. I'm happy to be in the Alliance. If this ruins me... then I'm okay with that."

"I have no regrets," Adora chipped in; which, while a lie, is almost the truth. She can regret hurting Catra while _not_ regretting leaving.

Mermista shifts, slowly sitting up. She looks so alert Adora wonders if she'd been faking slumber all this time. Her brown eyes swept across them.

"You think she, like, _knew_ we cared about her or whatever?"

Silence befell them. Adora looked out into the dark forest. She hoped they'd be home soon. It didn't feel right to be talking about this sort of thing in the open. Or at all. But that might be Horde training talking again.

"Entrapta was pretty smart." Bow's voice was clogged with mucus. He'd been crying hardest of all, though not as loudly as Perfuma, or as shame-faced about it as Mermista. "She totally knew."

"She was smart with _robots_. Not people."

"Could we please _not_ refer to our newly departed in the past tense?" Sea Hawk broke in, grimacing. "It's too soon."

Glimmer sighed and rubbed her eyelids. "What do you suggest we do, then? Pretend it didn't happen?"

He flinched. "Well, no. I just..."

Adora stood. She grabbed his wrist and gently shoved him toward Mermista, who didn't complain as he snuggled in close. Perfuma edged over to Bow and Glimmer, and was welcomed with open arms.

"Things are gonna be hectic when we get back," Adora said as she took hold of the steering mechanism. "Let's just... appreciate the quiet. Entrapta did."

 **Author's Note: So I finally got to No Princesses Left Behind, and lemme just say what the absolute fudge my dudes.**

 **Idk if this** **completely in character or canon to the rest of the season (I'm liveblogging it on my tumblr** **btw!), but I wanted to write some kiddos getting to grieve for a bit.**

 **-Mandaree1**


End file.
